Recipe: Palak Paneer

Palak Paneer is one of my favourite Indian dishes to have at weddings.  After a long day, I was looking for a quick, easy, and healthy recipe.  This recipe uses fresh spinach and replaces cream with yogurt, making this a wonderfully healthy recipe for a quick weeknight dinner or as a part of a fancy menu.

Nutrition Tip: Spinach is a great source of many nutrients such as folate, calcium, and iron.

I prefer to not blend my spinach completely, giving a different yet appealing look.

Palak Paneer
Recipe Adapted from: pinchofyum.com
Makes: 4-6 servings
One Serving: 1/3 - 1/2 cup

• 2 tsp canola oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 chili pepper, chopped
• 1 tsp cumin seeds 
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ginger and garlic paste
• 1 14 ounce diced tomatoes with italian spices
• 3 cups spinach, washed and chopped
• 1/2 cup plain low fat yogurt
• 1/2 cup water
• 8 ounces paneer, cubed

1. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Saute the onion and chili pepper until soft and slightly browned. 
2. Add the cumin seeds, garam masala, salt, and ginger and garlic paste. Saute the mixture for 2-3 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes and mix well for about 5-10 minutes.
3. Add the spinach to the skillet and saute for 3-5 minutes, or until spinach has wilted. Remove from heat. 
4. Using a hand blender, blend the curry using a few pulses until you get the desired consistency (I prefer it not completely smooth). 
5. Return skillet to medium high heat and add paneer. Stir in water and yogurt and cover to simmer for 10 minutes.
6. Serve with brown rice or naan.

Enjoy! 

Recipe: Chimichurri Salmon

After taking a break from the blog, I am back once again! I have been uploading pictures of a lot of the meals I make on Instagram (check it out!) and have received multiple requests for recipes.  Upon those requests, I have decided to post my recipes here along with other nutrition and physical activity goodies!

My schedule has changed in the past couple of weeks, requiring me to prep my meals ahead of time.  This week I decided to use up my salmon in a unique way - with a chimichurri marinade. 

Chimichurri sauce is fresh herb sauce used as a topping on salmon or steak.  I decided to use the chimichurri sauce as a marinade for my salmon and baked several portions of salmon for the week.

Nutrition tip: getting at least 2 servings of fish such as salmon are a great way to get your dose of heart healthy omega-3 fats.  Fish is a great source of protein!

Chimichurri Salmon served with mixed vegetables.

Chimichurri Salmon
Makes: 6 servings
One Serving: 75g (one piece of salmon)

•  6 salmon fillets or salmon steaks 

 Chimichurri Marinade:

• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 ½ cups fresh parsley
• ¼ cup chopped green onions
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1-3 green chillies (optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1-3 tablespoons of water

1.Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Grease a baking pan with olive oil.

2. In a blender, add all marinade ingredients and blend.  Add 1 tablespoon of water at a time until a smoothe paste is formed.

3. Generously cover salmon pieces with marinade one at at time and place in baking pan.

4. Bake salmon for 25-30 minutes or until easily flaked with a fork. Time will vary depending on the thickness of salmon.

Enjoy!